


This Is The Way The World Ends

by Owlwithafringe



Series: Shadowhunters Ficlets [4]
Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Battle, Demons, Established Relationship, Fighting, M/M, Major Character Injury, Serious Injuries, Shadowhunters!verse, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-06
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 18:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6765565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlwithafringe/pseuds/Owlwithafringe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec had never considered the possibility that he could lose Magnus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is The Way The World Ends

**Author's Note:**

> I received this prompt from a prompt meme: _[20: “You need to wake up because I can’t do this without you.”](http://owlwithafringe.tumblr.com/post/143949448578/malec-20-you-are-a-wonderful-writer-thank-you/)_

Alec had never considered the possibility that he could lose Magnus.

 

From the start of his relationship with Magnus, it had been a fact, a bittersweet promise, that Alec could spend the rest of his years with Magnus but that ultimately, Magnus was destined to outlive him.

 

Alec had made his peace with this fact some time ago - he couldn’t think of any other way he’d like to live out the rest of his days, than in Magnus’s arms. His only regret was the pain that his death would bring Magnus.

 

But Magnus was _strong_. He would survive, just like he had survived everything else that life had tried to best him with. This knowledge had always reassured Alec somewhat.

**. . . .**

 

It was a fairly average battle, as battles went. It wasn’t the type of demon that they were fighting that made it difficult, but rather the sheer number that there were; wave after wave hurtling towards them, all claws and spitting fangs. 

 

They were all growing tired, fighting the demons - if anything were to beat them that day it would be exhaustion. Alec could see Clary shaking as she swung her blade, the lines of fatigue displayed clearly on her face. She had not been trained to fight like this, not like the Lightwood’s had been, for the literal entirety of their lives.

 

That being said, even Alec was starting to feel the struggle; lead in his muscles trying to tempt him to giving up every time he lifted his bow to fire away a shot, the burning fire in his lungs begging for oxygen, the bruises under his eyes a constant reminder that half angel or not, he was still half human as well, and could not keep this up forever.

 

But Alec refused to stop. He would not stop until there either were no more demons left, or until he struck down: whichever one might happen first. That didn’t mean though, that every once of concentration that Alec could muster was dedicated to this endless dance, dodging swings, releasing arrows, staying steady on his feet.

 

Maybe that’s _why_ he didn’t see the demon that got Magnus.

 

Alec turned a fraction of a second too late, just in time to see a gnarled claw extract itself from Magnus’s chest and Magnus, with his tired eyes and smudged eyeliner, look down in surprise, his lips forming a silent ‘oh’. He collapsed to his knees, the magic at his fingers fizzling out from existence like a dying fire. 

 

The roaring of rushing blood filled his ears cancelling out all other sound. Alec let out a strangled shout as he started towards Magnus.

 

The demon was dead - an arrow sticking out comically from the side of his head- long before Magnus fully fell to the ground.

 

Alec discarded his bow as he dropped to the ground, gathering Magnus up into his arms like a limp rag doll. The blood poured from Magnus’s wound, staining his blue silk shirt a deep red, making Alec’s fingers slick as he desperately tried to halt the bleeding with his hands.

 

Magnus lay still against Alec, other than his laboured gasps for breath. His face was damp with sweat and Alec remembered, that for all Magnus wore the guise of the invincible High Warlock of Brooklyn, son of Asmodeus, _he was half human too_.

 

Magnus watched him silently, the glamour that usually covered his eyes completely gone. His gold eyes mapped every detail of Alec’s face with an adoration that made him want to cry, because Alec _knew why_. He knew what it meant because he had done it many times himself when he thought that _this was it_. 

 

As Magnus’s eyes began to slide shut, Alec felt himself begin to panic. “Magnus? C’mon Magnus, you need to wake up because I can’t do this without you.” Alec pleaded, his blood stained hands shaking as he carefully stroked the other man’s cheek. “I need you Magnus. Please don’t leave me alone.”

 

There was an overwhelming silence in reply, echoing hollowly. It was then that Alec noticed the sounds of battle had stopped. He looked up, the others stood a little distance away, trying to be respectful he realised. 

 

Izzy and Clary held each other, quiet tears slipping from Isabelle’s eyes as Clary buried her head in the older girls neck. Jace was clearly enforcing years of training, trying not to show weakness, to remain strong for them all, however it was clear from the pain that barely hidden beneath the surface that he was feeling everything Alec was, via the Parabatai bond. 

 

Alec imagined he didn’t look much better; sweat, grime and blood soaked, wild and desperate eyes. He shook his head and tried to gather his rationality, some vague idea of common sense. _Emotions were a distraction_ and if Alec didn’t get them under control, the love of his life would literally die in his arms.

 

Alec gathered Magnus against his chest, cradling him. He steeled himself before standing up, Magnus in tow, and meeting Jace’s eyes. “He still has a pulse. We need to take him to the Institute right now and call Catarina Loss - she’ll know what to do.”

 

“Alec-” Jace tried to start.

 

“Help me.” Alec interrupted, cringing at how broken he sounded. “ _Please_.”

 

There was a beat of silence but all Alec could think was, _there was another second of Magnus’s life being wasted_ , when Jace finally nodded. “Ok. Get him home and I’ll call Catarina. We don’t have a lot of time.”

 

No, Alec thought to himself as he hurried outside towards where Simon’s van was parked on the curb - Clary had borrowed it for their mission that day, back what felt like so long ago. 

 

They didn’t have a lot of time at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, feedback is always appreciated and motivates me to write more! Come and find me on Tumblr at **[Owlwithafringe](http://owlwithafringe.tumblr.com/)** , and send me a message about Malec. :) My askbox is also always open, so leave a prompt and I'll try and write it for you as soon as I can! (◡‿◡✿)


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